Can't properly import m2ts-file with AC3 5.1 Audio

Van_Lu wrote on 2/8/2018, 11:25 AM

My Panasonic HDC-SD900 store all video in m2ts-files. When i importing this video to my Movie Edit Pro Premium - it's playing in stereo mode even if i choose 5.1 option in mixer mode. I can extract audio (by right click menu) - as result i receive 3 stereo tracks but i can't define which of them Fron LR/Back LR/Center & Sub.

Why the program don't recognize channels automatically?
How i can recognize these channels?
How set these channels on appropriate positions?

Comments

johnebaker wrote on 2/8/2018, 12:07 PM

By default Surround Sound is played back as stereo, however you can turn on 5.1 Surround Sound in the mixer (M key)

When exporting and you require surround sound, you have to change the audio codec eg for AVCHD export -

Once you have changed the export setting, you can save this as a preset by clicking the Save icon (arrowed above).

. . . . but i can't define which of them Fron LR/Back LR/Center & Sub . . . .

Once you have displayed the 3 audio tracks - you do not have to extract them, from top to bottom they are either :

Channel 1 is always F L/R

Channels 2 and 3 are

(a) Centre/Sub, B L/R

(b) B L/R, Centre/Sub depending on the video format.

For my Sony camera, AVCHD video format, channels 2 and 3 are as option a.

HTH

John EB

Van_Lu wrote on 2/12/2018, 12:58 PM

Sorry for late response, but can't check your suggestion earlier.
So here the results. Even if i switch to 5.1 mode in mixer, when i importing my m2ts-files they still playing in stereo.

When i choose video/audio on separate tracks it shows one track for audio and still plays in stereo mode:

So i go further and choose Display soundtracks MAGIX show three audio tracks but still plays in stereo...
Should i change configuration for 3rd track like this (to make this channel back LR)?

But if yes? how i can configure center/sub?

johnebaker wrote on 2/12/2018, 1:55 PM

I suspect that your sound card is still on its default setting for Stereo, it must also be configured for 5.1 Surround Sound for the mixer surround sound editor to display correctly as shown below.

Do you have all the necessary surround sound speakers attached to the PC?

Headphone listening will only give you stereo.

HTH

John EB

Scenestealer wrote on 2/12/2018, 2:44 PM

I would:-

Tick Video / audio on separate tracks
Rt. click the Audio track and Display sound tracks.
Activate the 5.1 option in the Mixer and make sure your Windows Audio settings are configured to play Surround sound (there is usually a prompt from MEP to do this)
At this point you should see the little graphics with the red and blue speaker icons at the top of the Mixer channels change to reflect the assigned positions for Front Center and rear across Mixer tracks 2,3 and 4 and sound should come from all six speakers.
In case it does not, I have found that I often need to Rt.click an Audio track and on just one clip and select Extract Audio Channels where upon it will create separate .WAV files for each track in the Audio Temp folder, for that clip. This has the effect of 'Kick Starting' the correct playback of the separate channels and all the other clips, even though you have not extracted the audio on the other clips. This is a quirk which I ran past support years ago but remains unresolved.
If you wish to do any detailed sound editing other than changing the overall sound level of the channels or spatial speaker positioning, on any of the clips , you may need to extract the Audio for that particular clip.

Should i change configuration for 3rd track like this (to make this channel back LR)?

Yes, if you only had a stereo track to work with like a CD music track. I do this to distribute music tracks to all speakers when I am doing a surround mix. Control Lft.click allows you to drag just one red sound field to a different position (in your last screen shot) and rolling the mouse wheel over the Width box increase the spread from the 2 red fields. Scrolling over the LFE box un-mutes it and sets the LFE level. You can carry out similar actions to position the sound in any of your 3 x 5.1 channels after clicking the speaker position graphic at the top of your Mixer tracks.